Prenatal Vitamins

Prenatal vitamins are very essential for pregnant women as it helps to avoid low birth weight babies, preterm labor, toxemia, birth defects and other pregnancy related complications. The importance of these vitamins and supplements is stressed to a great extent so that pregnant women use it.

These vitamins are specially designed to make up the nutritional deficiencies of the pregnant women. For pregnant women calcium, iron, folic acid content is very important.

Folic acid is one of the most important ingredients in the prenatal vitamins. It should contain at least 800 mcg of folic acid, as it is very important for the growth of the baby in the womb. Folic acid is necessary because it reduces the risk of neural tube defects; it supports the normal formation of building blocks, reduces the risk of spinal defects and brain, promotes normal growth of the fetus with proper cell replication and also helps in development of fetus central nervous system.

Iron is one of the most important ingredients of any prenatal vitamins as one third of the iron consumption is passed on to the fetus. Any iron deficiency will lead to severe birth defect. Iron is necessary for both the mother and the baby to carry oxygen and it supports baby’s tissue growth.

Prenatal vitamins will have around 300 mg of calcium as transfer of large amount of calcium will keep happening between the mother and the baby throughout the pregnancy. In the first trimester, mother will store the calcium in the bones, but during the last trimester when the skeletal growth is happening at full speed, then mother’s calcium storage will be completely used by the baby. Calcium deficiency during pregnancy will harm mother’s bones as well as her teeth.

Calcium helps in maintaining water level in the body and also helps to maintain normal blood pressure. Calcium is essential for the formation of baby’s teeth and bones.It is difficult to get all essential vitamins from the food we eat, and during pregnancy, women need extra nutrition. Prenatal vitamins are designed keeping all this in mind. Prenatal vitamins make sure that both mother and the baby get right amount of nutrients.